This Disturbs Me Most of All

by cameo-d 53 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  cameo-d

  

  No, it's not the "claw hand"! What disturbs me most of all is The Potter's Shards.

  Any coin collector will tell you that the "imperfect" coins are the most valuable. Any art historian will tell you that the value of a painting is it's originality and uniqueness and the talent that can only come with time, suffering, and perserverence.

  It is the oddities and quirks in one of a kind pieces that make them a delight and a treasure.

  So why is it that this Potter has no appreciation for uniqueness? Why does he destroy everything that has some blemish or imperfection? Why does he require uniformity among his subjects?

  Our imperfections are just a part who we are. Imperfections contribute to our uniqueness. Why should our different ways of approaching life or situations be considered "character flaws"? Why is lack of conformity to a religious doctrine considered to make us bad people and worthy of destruction?

  Supposedly, the first command is to "love God". Yet, when I read about this god, he is a vile murderer all through the old testament according to what has been written. He requires people to kill their children and their animals for him to prove their loyalty and obedience. He displays rage and even admits he is a jealous god, even though we are advised that jealousy is a negative character trait. From what I read, this god plays favorites with certain groups of people; he makes deals with certain groups and to hell with the rest of us. This is not a god who deals with individuals on a personal basis.

  This god is despicable. I cannot love this god.

  Has god been misrepresented to us?

  Otherwise, why is this Potter looking for Stepford people who display uniformity? And for what purpose? Why must his people call themselves 'slaves'? Is the point to breed an ultimate slave race?

  I can't get past the first commandment; but the second commandment, to 'love thy neighbor as thyself', comes natural to me.

  Is this Potter the one who created us? Can you love a god who requires you to kill those you love as a test of loyalty? Wouldn't the action required by god be a breach of the second commandment from Jesus?
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  bluecanary

  You've got two separate points here that are both really, really good.
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  insearchoftruth

  Great points cameo-d, the God of love is not going to destroy 6 billion plus of those he has created......

  (if that it the acceptable rate, he has a lot of process control work to do)
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  BurnTheShips

  Why does he require uniformity among his subjects?

  All those dudes behind the white hair are identical. The Watchtower's BorgMessiah. You will be assimilated.
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  african GB Member

  ''Is this Potter the one who created us? Can you love a god who requires you to kill those you love as a test of loyalty? Wouldn't the action required by god be a breach of the second commandment from Jesus?''

  This is surely disturbing.
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  sacolton

  You know what I hope ... I hope the FDS actually commands the followers to go ahead and kill the evil apostates. I want them to do it themselves. Did Jehovah not command Samson to take up the jawbone? Did Jehovah not command Jacob to march around His enemies before destroying them? So, let them kill the 6 billion of us "apostates" with their own hands.
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  Mad Dawg

  The point of the parable is not perfection or conformity. The point is to remove defects that are a detriment to the usefullness of the vessel. These were practical items, not artwork. In the ANE, pottery that was fragile or wouldn't hold water were worthless. The potter is trying to make vessels of value. Because the vessels are hand-made, each one is unique

  God, as the potter, wants to make something valuable of us - this is the sum-total of the parable, nothing more. Remember it is a parable to illustrate a point, don’t read too much into it. When the pot is broken down, the clay was still fresh, it was not yet fired as depicted in the above illustration. The potter would use the same clay to make another pot. The potter/God works hard to make us valuable.

  It is deceitful of the WTS to equate this parable with the Big A, I presume that is the point of the illustration.

  Jehober of the WTS is a twisted caricature of the God of the Bible. I have wrestled with many of the same things you bring up in these forums. I am happy to help you with questions as best as I am able.
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  cameo-d

  Sacoulton: " So, let them kill the 6 billion of us "apostates" with their own hands."

  Sacoulton: They already do in their own way. Shunning is just a dry run. They will never actually lift a hand to do physical harm. BUT what I do think will happen, is that apostates will be silenced and physically killed by a dominionist army that operates in stealth and darkness.

  The greatest sin of the JWs and the other religionists will be that they did not look deeper to understand that it has always been these magicians who speak on behalf of god. They will be content to believe that their invisible god has killed us.
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  designs

  Whether a person agrees with any Witness beliefs or not anyone should know they are decidedly in the pacifist camp, and officially state they are not to be participants in their concept of Armageddon except for the 144,000 and angels, that's their take.
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  Scully

  designs:

  they are decidedly in the pacifist camp, and officially state they are not to be participants in their concept of Armageddon except for the 144,000 and angels, that's their take.

  Just because JWs don't pick up a sword or a gun and go to war, it doesn't make JWs truly pacifists. Their general willingness to participate in shunning and make no apologies for doing so, is an emotionally and socially violent act of nothing less than pure, unadulterated contempt. Even soldiers understand the tragic consequences of lives lost in war, and many of them are haunted by wartime violence. With JWs, however, the contempt for Apostate™ enemies ranks right up there with every genocide in known history. If they could kill us, you can bet your sweet bippy that they would, without hesitation, with the kind of sick and twisted pleasure that Rwandan genocidaires took in eliminating their enemy "cockroaches".

  We are not living today among theocratic nations where such members of our fleshly family relationship could be exterminated for apostasy from God and his theocratic organization, as was possible and was ordered in the nation of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai and in the land of Palestine. "Thou shalt surely kill him; thy hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. And thou shalt stone him to death with stones, because he hath sought to draw thee away from Jehovah thy God, . . . And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is in the midst of thee."-Deut. 13:6-11, AS.

  Being limited by the laws of the worldly nation in which we live and also by the laws of God through Jesus Christ, we can take action against apostates only to a certain extent, that is, consistent with both sets of laws. The law of the land and God's law through Christ forbid us to kill apostates, even though they be members of our own flesh-and-blood family relationship. ~ Watchtower, November 15, 1952.